30 Little Ways To Make Your Day Healthier In 30 Seconds Or Less

When it’s time to get healthy, most people think BIG CHANGE and try to revamp everything. But the most effective strategy is actually doing the opposite. Lasting change comes from making lots of little shifts—some so simple they’re barely noticed. Skeptical? Here are 30 easy ways to tweak your day and become healthier instantly.

Turn down the music you’re listening to while working out. Set it to less than 60% of max volume, says Lisa Tseng, MD, CEO of hi HealthInnovations. Studies show that consistent exposure to sounds above 100 decibels (normal conversation is 60) permanently affects hearing. (Is hearing loss in your future? Take this quick quiz to find out.)

Consider popping a baby (81 mg) aspirin (if your doc is on board with it). Taking one daily for 10 years reduces the risk of colon cancer by 35% and esophageal and stomach cancers by 30% among folks age 50-65, according to the Center for Cancer Prevention at Queen Mary, University of London.

These microorganisms don’t just aid digestion; they also boost immunity. College students who ingested probiotics daily reported fewer cold symptoms and faster recoveries, according to a 2012 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Look for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium animalis lactis BB12 either in supplements or yogurt. (Keep your snack interesting with these 8 tasty yogurt toppers.)

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7:10 am: Spend time on the throne.

Even if it means being a few minutes late for work, visit the bathroom. When poop sits in your colon, it becomes drier and harder, and that can plug you up, says Alex Ky, MD, a GI specialist at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Backed up? Here's why—and how to get things moving.

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9 am: Wipe down your office doorknob.

If the person who handled it last was sick, you might be next. One virus can spread to up to 60% of workers and visitors in just a couple hours (see just how fast a virus spreads), according to researchers at the University of Arizona. Any disinfectant wipe will get rid of germs.

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9:30 am: Answer co-workers' email in person.

Not only is it friendlier, but it also forces you to walk around, which you should do at least once every hour if you have desk job, says Martha Gulati, MD, director for preventive cardiology at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Studies link sitting to weight gain and poor heart health.

Women who have less than 150 mg of caffeine daily (typically found in 12 ounces of coffee) are 15% more likely to develop tinnitus (ringing in the ears) than those who ingest at least 450 mg (36 ounces), according to a Brigham and Women’s Hospital study. Check out Your Body On Coffee to see the other impressive health benefits of java.

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11 am: Drop and give us 10.

Ten push-ups, squats, bench dips... Take 30 seconds and do something! More than three-quarters of adults over age 45 don’t meet the muscle-strengthening recommendations set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

It should be pale yellow to clear. If it’s not, drink more water. University of Connecticut researchers found that even mild dehydration zapped energy and lowered concentration among otherwise healthy women. (Here's what else your pee can tell you.)

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Noon: Top your salad with salmon.

Eating omega-3-rich fatty fish at least twice weekly lowers the risk of hearing loss in women by 20% and bolsters the cardiovascular system.

It’s not just better for your back and neck, it also boosts mood. “When you move from poor posture to good posture you increase levels of ‘go-go-go’ hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, and decrease the stress hormone cortisol,” says spinal surgeon Kenneth Hansraj, MD.

In a Brigham Young University study, women age 25 to 50 who jumped at least 10 times twice daily significantly increased their hip bone mineral density after 16 weeks. (Also consider these 12 ways to break-proof your bones.)

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3 pm: Be your own masseuse.

A 30-second self-massage can relieve a tension headache. Simply find the tender spots on your forehead or scalp and rub in a circular motion with your thumb and knuckles, says Maureen Moon, past president of the American Massage Therapy Association. (Here's another DIY facial massage that feels amazing.)

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3:30 pm: Log onto the Onion.

Or any humor website for a quick giggle. Laughing lowers blood pressure.

A yoga pose, that is, which will help boost blood flow to the brain and stretch your oh-so-tight spine, says Elissa Lappostato, yoga instructor and founder of the Prajjali Pass. Ground your feet by pressing into all four corners of each sole then bend your knees and fold forward from the hips with a straight back. Hang for 10-20 deep breaths then s-l-o-w-l-y rise back up.

Doing so with a stick or two of gum appears to improve focus and memory, according to one UK study. Additional research shows it also has a calming effect, perhaps due to the minty fresh feeling it creates or the fact that chewing boosts oxygen to the brain.

Instead of using a list when you visit the grocery store after work, try this memory-improving technique: Think up a crazy story that features the items you need to buy, says former U.S. Memory Championship winner Chester Santos. For example: An elephant storms into the store spurting milk from its trunk, slips on some eggs, crashes into the chip-and-nacho-cheese display, and has to be scrubbed clean with laundry detergent (or something to that effect).

Gasoline emissions evaporate as you fill your tank and form ozone, a component of smog—bad for your lungs and the environment. The sun facilitates this effect. Filling up after dark keeps those emissions from turning into pollutants.

This not only prevents you from bringing pollen into the house during allergy season, but it also leaves all kinds of grossness outside. When researchers tested shoes for germs, they found all kinds of pathogens, including e-coli. (Do you know what the 10 worst germ hot spots you touch are?)

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6 pm: Hug a family member.

Squeezing someone you love reduces stress and lowers blood pressure, according to scientists at the Medical University of Vienna. Why? Hugging raises levels of the hormone oxytocin, which in turn reduces the concentration of stress hormones.

When you sit down for dinner, first inhale and exhale mindfully, then chew your initial bite of food for 30 seconds. Cederquist says this simple trick slows down eating throughout the meal and improves digestion. (Give this simple mindfulness eating meditation a try.)

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7:30 pm: Spritz your schnoz.

A daily squirt of saline nasal spray not only helps subdue allergies (it flushes offending irritants such as mold and ragweed), but it may also fight colds and other upper-respiratory bugs, according to Swedish researchers.

Once dissolved in warm water, they’re absorbed by the skin and replenish your body’s magnesium levels, which can be depleted by stress, says Deborah Levy, MS, RD. (Unwind even more with these 3 calming yoga poses.)

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9:30 pm: Brush your tongue.

It harbors a lot of bacteria, which can spread to teeth and up the risk of cavities and gingivitis, says Kelle Kattleman Stanton, DDS, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Turn off your e-reader, laptop, and TV. These devices emit light in the blue spectrum, which disrupts sleep. It shuts down production of the sleep-enhancing hormone melatonin when it hits your retina, explains Robert Rosenberg, DO, of the Sleep Disorders Center of Prescott Valley, Arizona.

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